


Beautiful

by lulupickles



Category: Stephanie Plum - Janet Evanovich
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-02
Updated: 2021-03-13
Packaged: 2021-03-15 12:54:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,939
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29808711
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lulupickles/pseuds/lulupickles
Summary: AU story. Told from Lester’s point of view. Stephanie gets tired of all the interference from people claiming to love her. In an unwelcome confrontation, she announces her engagement to Lester Santos. However, she isn’t actually engaged to her best friend. Her announcement sets her on the path to true love.
Relationships: Stephanie Plum/Lester Santos
Kudos: 3





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A Stephanie Plum and Lester Santos fan fiction. Written from Lester’s point of view. All mistakes are mine. Characters belong to JE as always.

CHAPTER 1

My name is Lester Santos. I am 34 years old and work with my cousin Carlos Manoso at Rangeman, a company Carlos, Bobby, Tank and I first started in Miami Florida. Over the last 5 years, we opened branches in Atlanta, Boston and Trenton. The fourth location, which became our home base, is located in Trenton, New Jersey. We originally planned to have the Miami branch as our home base, but that changed in a matter of minutes.

I have green eyes and spiky blond hair. Even though I’m Carlos’ cousin, we don’t share too many features. He looks more like his mother with his dark hair, skin and eyes. His dad is my Mom’s brother. I look more like my Dad. He too has blond hair and green eyes. His mother was Scandinavian and his father was Cuban. My Mom’s dad (Abuelo) was Cuban and her mother (Abuela) was Puerto Rican. Mom’s skin tone is lighter, taking after Abuela Manoso. Tia Maria, Ranger’s mom, has darker skin tone like Abuelo Manoso. My skin tone is a few shades lighter than Ranger.

Four years ago, I met Beautiful. She’s been starring in my fantasies and dreams every night since we first met. She’s in a tenuous relationship with Joe Morelli and my cousin Ricardo Carlos Manoso. Although Carlos claims to love her, he is unable to offer her more than protection, cars and sex. Every day I see her, I joke around so I can see her beautiful smile. During the last few months I’ve noticed she doesn’t smile as freely as she used to. There’s obviously something going on between her, the cop and the boss. We’ve become best friends over the last three years. I still remember when I first met her.

_“We have an ‘interior decorating’ job to do today,” Carlos told us. He was bringing a fifth person, Ms Plum, on the job. I asked myself, ‘Who is she?’ First let me explain what an ‘interior decorating’ job involves. We are hired by a building owner or landlord to remove the ‘trash’ (druggies, dealers, pimps... to name a few). After we remove the trash, we alternate shifts to prevent these low-lifes from returning to the building. Carlos and Tank are seated in the front of the black Range Rover SUV with tinted side windows. Bobby and I are in the back; I’m seated behind Ranger, Bobby is behind Tank. Both Bobby and Tank are black, Ranger and I are Cuban American._

_We raised our eyebrows when Carlos pulled into the parking lot of a rundown three story apartment building. “Move to the back,” Carlos ordered Tank. He raised his eyebrow, but didn’t question the order as he moved. Carlos, otherwise called Ranger, is the company CEO. He was also our Army Rangers Commanding Officer. We are used to following his orders without question. Ranger has the best instincts, which makes him a great leader. However, Ranger never brought a woman on the job with us before. I start to question his leadership abilities when my eyes land on the vision exiting the building. She is absolutely beautiful._

_A tiny brown curly hair, blue eyed, sexy girl opens the SUV passenger door and sits in the shot gun seat. She shyly peaks into the back seat and says to Ranger, “Is that the interior decorating team in the backseat?” I could see Ranger smile. “I’m dressed different from everyone else,” she said in embarrassment. Ranger explained he has a jacket and vest for her in the back. She blushed when she admitted to not carrying her gun. After a few more shared words explaining the job, she said, “I hate getting shot at. You know how much I hate getting shot at.” Her nervousness was adorable. I could see her lightly blush each time she looked at me over her shoulder._

_“Just a precaution,” Ranger replied. “Probably no one will get shot.” Ranger explained where we were heading before their conversation ended. We rode in silence until we arrived at the building. I noticed Ranger glaring at me each time Beautiful looked at me._

_She asked a few more questions about legality of the eviction. I replied, “Think of this as community service.” Bobby and Tank quickly agreed. She chewed on her bottom lip as she cracked her knuckles. It was such a cute response from her. I was expecting her to run away screaming like all normal women. Something about her made me believe she was anything but normal. My cargos tightened as I imagined her screaming my name._

_I shook the thoughts away before exiting the SUV. We lined up behind the truck in front of Stephanie and waited for our formal introduction. “Gentlemen,” Ranger said, “this is Ms. Plum.”_

_I reached my hand out and said, “Lester Santos.” She shook my hand and I could feel sparks run from her hand into mine._

_Her face blushed pink as she mumbled, “Nice to meet you.”_

_“Bobby Brown.”_

_She shook his hand and said, “Nice to meet you Bobby.”_

_“Tank,” he said as her hand was swallowed by his. I noticed Tank only offered his street name._

_She mumbled, “Please call me Stephanie or Steph,” as she shook his hand._

_Stephanie took in our sizes. Bobby is six foot two, Tank is six foot six, I’m six foot four and she appears to be five foot seven. I was impressed she wasn’t intimidated by our size. Most women shy away from such large men. “I better not get into trouble for this. I’m going to be really bummed if I get arrested. I hate getting arrested,” she complained._

_I grinned, “Man, you don’t like to get shot. You don’t like to get arrested. You don’t know how to have fun at all.” She blushed as Ranger gave her the Kevlar vest and security jacket for her to wear. The vest was a little large on her. I noticed it belongs to Hector, the smallest_ _sized man employed by Rangeman. However, it was still too large for her. If she continues to help us in the field, I’ll need to buy her a vest in her size. I couldn’t help notice she has an amazing figure. Her breast size is slightly smaller than I like, 34B if I’m not mistaken, but there’s something about her that I find very appealing. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. She kept glancing at me as I first pulled on the vest, then the jacket. I saw her eyes glaze over as she watched me attach my gun belt and weapons. My eyes remained locked on her face as I prepared for the job._

 _Ranger quickly grabbed her attention. I could tell he didn’t like her staring at me. He led the way into the building and to the third floor apartment 3C. Bobby and Tank stood to the left of the door, flash lights in hand. Stephanie and I stood to the right. Only Ranger and I had drawn our guns. Stephanie wasn’t armed so I gently moved her behind me. Sparks ran up my arm when I made contact with her hand. Hearing her gasp, I realized she felt it too. Ranger quickly looked at her before producing the key provided by the landlord to unlock the door. As he opened the door, it caught on the security chain. Ranger looked at Stephanie before he took a few steps back and rammed the door with his shoulder. Once the door opened, he shouted, “Security.” I rolled my eyes. He was clearly showing off to Stephanie. I looked behind me to see the glazed look in her eyes as she slowly licked her lips. Apparently she was impressed. Ranger will only break her heart. He was a bigger player than me. I wonder if there’s any way for me to impress her, to have her look at me that way again. What am I thinking? I just met this woman. I’m Lester Santos, lover of all women, belonging to none... yet_.

_Everything turned into chaos. People were running all over the place. Half-naked men and women were scrambling off the mattresses and attempted to bolt through the door. Our team managed to cuff the six occupants and lined them up in the living room. One of the men went berserk while being cuffed, yelling, “This is my apartment. This is private property. somebody call the fucking police.” He pulled a knife from his pocket and flicked it open. Tank grabbed him by the back of his shirt and threw him out the window. I noticed Stephanie’s mouth dropped open and her face went pale._

_We could hear scraping sounds. Stephanie ran to the window to look out. She sighed in relief. “He’s on the fire escape! God, for a minute there I thought you dumped him three stories.”_

_I noticed Tank’s surprised expression as he approached the window. He looked out and said, “You’re right. He’s on the fire escape. Sonovagun.” Stephanie lightly blushed when Tank smiled at her. We worked together to remove the occupants, garbage and furniture. She helped me pick up garbage, sparks flying between us as our hands brushed. Once the apartment was cleaned, the lock and broken window were replaced. We set up shifts to prevent the evicted man from returning to the apartment. I was surprised when Stephanie agreed to work the midnight patrol shift with Tank._

_She muttered, “Can’t work with him. Those gorgeous green eyes and that yummy body would be too distracting. Safer with Tank.” I smiled as I followed Ranger and Bobby to the truck._

_Their shift didn’t go as we anticipated. Tank was shot, but only knocked out from impact. The Kevlar vest prevented the bullet from entering his chest, but still knocked him off the chair. He had a slight bump on his head from hitting it on the floor. Stephanie apparently fell asleep on the lobby floor during her shift. She drew her weapon to prevent the man from entering his apartment. He was frustrated when his key didn’t work in the new lock. After screaming at her to open the door, his neighbour entered the hallway. Unfortunately, he was strapped with explosives. When his elderly neighbour fired her weapon it caused him to explode. Stephanie was thrown from the blast. Ranger slammed down his blank face as he watched her being loaded onto the gurney. I did a quick inventory to see if she sustained any injuries. When Ranger asked if she was alright, she only shook her head and said her ears were ringing._

_The next day, she continued her work as a bounty hunter as though the previous day had never occurred. I was in awe. She is unflappable. This woman didn’t let this incident get her down. It was at that moment when I fell in love with Stephanie Michelle Plum, my Beautiful. I’m retiring my playboy ways. She’s one remarkable woman. Not once has she broken down crying or run away screaming. The only woman I want in my bed from this day forward is this wonderful, beautiful, strong woman._

I was always selected as a team member whenever she agreed to do a distraction. A distraction is where a woman would dress in skimpy, revealing or sexy clothing in order to lure a skip from a bar or night club. This method keeps the civilians safe from harm. We only use the distraction method when a skip proves difficult to capture or is always surrounded by his men. During her fist distraction, she was dressed in a very sexy red number with 4 inch black heels. As she walked past my team mates, they would discretely fix themselves. When we heard her Thursday group sex night comment, every one of us groaned. To hear her casually talk about sex was a huge turn on. Most of us were still sporting raging hard ons when we finally subdued the skip.

Arriving back at Rangeman was hilarious. The men quickly filed their reports before racing to their rooms to relieve the pressure. It always took me longer to file my reports. I always volunteered to handle Beautiful’s reports. She had more important things to do, like washing off the creep cooties.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Stephanie’s announcement, Lester finds the courage to confess his feelings.

CHAPTER 2

Stephanie occasionally worked for Rangeman whenever she needed money to pay bills. Ranger lead us to believe she was his woman. He never actually said she was his, but it was strongly implied. She signed a part time contract with Rangeman almost a year ago. Most of the Merry Men, as she lovingly call us, are in love with her. Out of respect for Ranger, they maintain their distance. I’m not part of that camp, I made it my personal mission to become her best friend. If I couldn’t have her as my girlfriend, then I was willing to settle for the permanent friend zone.

After a few years of friendship, she confided in me about her relationship with Joe and Ranger. We discussed the pros and cons of each relationship. With Joe, they had an ‘ask no questions, I’ll tell no lies’ type of relationship. She doesn’t ask about his day, he won’t ask about hers. It’s almost completely one sided though, people keep tabs on her throughout the day and report back to him. Joe relies heavily on his TPD friends and the Burg gossip grapevine. He always knows where to find her when he wants to surprise her. Joe also knows which areas to avoid when he hooks up with the many women he strings along. I’m surprised the Burg grapevine hasn’t told Stephanie about his infidelity.

The Burg grapevine spreads a lot of embellished half truths about Stephanie. Everybody talks about Morelli’s indiscretions, yet the chatter never gets repeated to Stephanie. She either doesn’t want to know, or they don’t respect her enough to tell her. I suspect she’d rather live in denial land, where she is the reigning queen.

Ranger, unlike Joe, uses trackers to follow her movements. In my opinion, both methods greatly invade her privacy. Joe and Ranger know everything about her day while she is left completely in the dark regarding their day. If only she knew Joe was cheating on her when they were in the on-again phase. He has multiple sexual encounters with different women throughout the day. As much as I want to inform her, I doubt she would really want to know.

My cousin, Ranger, is not much better. He pulls her into alleys to kiss her senseless, leaving her wanting more from him. In order to relieve the pressure of his erection, he visits the members only club. A high end prostitute is readily available to service his needs. One woman is exclusively available to him. He pays her extra to keep his secret and remain available to him alone. I would love to tell her what both men are doing. When I last broached the subject, she said, “I know Ranger and Joe are having sex with other women when we aren’t together. I’d rather live in denial land than have it confirmed.” She has no idea how wrong she is. My best friend deserves so much better than what those two men could offer. I know she’ll eventually tire from their exploits. When that time comes, I’ll be waiting with open arms.

It’s been so long since I’ve had sex. The only woman I want in my bed is Beautiful. She is definitely worth the wait. Eventually she’ll see me as the greatest love of her life. Patience is key. I truly believe she’ll love me as much as I love her. For now, I will be her best, funniest and sexy friend.

When her car blows up or catches fire, Ranger and Joe have a tendency to appear on site. Joe expresses his emotions by yelling at her. I can see the hurt on her face whenever he says ‘you’re lousy at your job,’ ‘quit your job and move in with me,’ ‘you’re giving me heartburn.’ Ranger patiently waits for Joe’s rant to end before offering her comfort and transportation. He offers her support instead of admonishment. They show their love in different ways, but I don’t think either men are truly in love with her.

If I’m not on a mission, I arrive onsite with Bobby to observe and ensure her safety. Bobby is my current partner at Rangeman. If he’s called to provide first aid, I’m required to accompany him. Once I see Beautiful is safe and unharmed, I relax then search for the responsible person. Bobby and I nurse her when she’s injured. Most times we bring her food or watch Ghostbusters until she falls asleep. I have spent many nights holding her as she slept.

If she’s too injured to work, I pick up her outstanding skips to keep money in her bank account for paying her bills. More times than not, I pay her rent. She always assumes it was Ranger, but she is too embarrassed to either ask him if he paid or thank him for the help. I maintain my silence. Eventually, I’ll have to tell her but now is not the time.

She told me she permanently broke up with the cop, Joseph Morelli, a month ago. Since then, the topic of Joseph Morelli was not discussed between us again. They often get back together, so I dismissed the possibility of this breakup being permanent. I didn’t want to give myself false hope.

Joe never stops trying to manipulate her in order to get her back. He often resorts to utilizing his charm with Helen Plum, Steph’s mom, to assist with his goal to marry her. Quite a few times, she would cave to make her mom happy. She always fought the idea of being a Burg wife and mother. I assumed, with Helen’s prodding, they were working on a reconciliation. All he needed to do was arrive at her apartment with food and beer, then she’d give him yet another chance. One of these days, that method will stop working. I really hope that cycle ends soon. Here I go again, giving myself false hope.

Her RAV4 exploded today. Joe showed up angry and yelling, “When are you going to give up this job? You’re lousy at it. When we get married, I’ll force you to quit that job and take you away from those thugs.”

I arrived on the scene and was shocked to see her laughing as she clutched her sides. Annoyance showed on her face briefly before she slammed down the blank look she recently perfected. She glanced in my direction and winked before calmly saying, “Joe, I will never marry you. Besides, we broke up three months ago. You are delusional if you think there’s even a sliver of a chance of us getting back together.”

This was news to me. I was unaware her relationship with Joe ended so long ago without a reconciliation. Usually when they break up, Ranger would have her in his bed. She told me they were through. I always fear they’d rekindle their relationship within a few weeks. Dare I hope?

Joe smugly stated, “Your mom is already planning our wedding. Now you have to marry me.”

She laughed even harder before answering her ringing phone. “Hi mom. I hear you’re planning my wedding to Joe.” She continued to listen. “Uh huh... why?” I could see she was getting angry. “No mom. Ranger and I are only friends... no benefits.” She was slowly entering rhino mode. “Mom. I’m not pregnant and I have no desire to marry Joe!” she yelled. I watched as her body completely tensed then slowly relax. In the most calm voice I’ve ever heard her speak, she said, “Sorry mom, but I can’t marry Joe. I’m already engaged to Lester Santos. Our wedding is already planned.” She looked at me and winked. My jaw dropped.

How did I get dragged into this? Recovering quickly from my shock, I walked to Stephanie and said, “Beautiful, I thought we were going to tell your parents over dinner tonight?”

I could hear her mother screaming over the phone, her words too muffled for me to hear. “As Les said, we were planning to tell you tonight over dinner. We’ll see you at 6, Mother.” She quickly hung up her phone, grabbed my face and kissed me. Her lips were soft and pliable. I deepened the kiss as I tangled my fingers in her hair.

Joe stomped off mumbling about forcing her to marry him. Stephanie ended the kiss and looked around. Ranger was standing beside his Porsche 911 looking murderous. Crap. He’s going to kill me. “Beautiful, I think we need to talk.” She nodded. I led her to my car and waited for her to get in. “Why did you tell your mom we’re engaged? What about you and Ranger?”

She sighed heavily. “There’s no ‘me and Ranger.’ He wasn’t interested in dating me when I told him Joe and I broke up. In fact, we had sex with then he volunteered for his last mission. He left a few days later to get away from me. I told him that I love him. He told me I didn’t know what I was saying, that I’m a liability to him. He loves me, but can’t give me what I need, doesn’t want to give me anything more than his money, body and friendship. There are too many enemies in his past who could hurt me. I don’t want his money and I certainly don’t want his body. However, I will agree to being just friends without benefits. He made me feel like a prostitute. When I think about it, giving me cars, clothes and a pity job felt like payment for servicing him.”

An angry glint appeared in her eyes before she said, “It would be a cold day in hell before I ever get involved with him again. That’s why I asked you guys to train me on your own time. I want to be able to take care of myself and to fight my own battles. The days of Ranger bailing me out are over. Thankfully I have enough money saved to replace my car. Ranger no longer has to ‘bleed money’ whenever he helps me. We have agreed we could only be friends, but it still hurts.” Tears streamed down her face.

I was furious. She never mentioned that conversation with Ranger. It partly explained why she was sad a few months ago. Finally, her reason for training made sense. “Let’s get you cleaned up for dinner at your parents.”

Dinner with Beautiful. I was beyond excited. Sure I was angry with Ranger, but having Beautiful is my dream come true. She is everything I ever wanted in a woman. I just hope she was serious about marrying me. “Sorry for getting you involved with my issues Les,” she quietly said. “I’m ruining your playboy status by claiming to be your fiancée.”

Laughing I said, “My playboy days were over the first day I met you.” I know she heard the stories about my playboy days. Most of those stories were recycled from over three years ago. I never wanted another woman since Beautiful entered my life.

She leaned over to touch my face. “Les, you’re my best friend. I love you.”

We kissed again. “Baby, do you want to make this engagement real?”

I could see the question in her eyes. “Really? You actually want to marry me? I’m a disappointment and disaster. Look around us, I can barely make it a month without having my car explode.”

“Yes, I’m positive. We’ve become closer over the last few years. I would be honoured to have you as my wife. But I would like to ask for your father’s permission before I give you the ring.”

I was expecting her to ask about the ring, but what she asked instead floored me. “Wow Les. Do you know when I fell in love with you?”

“No, when?” I was beyond curious.

“When you pulled me out of the Delaware River after I was thrown off the bridge. Ranger may have rescued me, but I didn’t feel safe until you held me into your arms. I only went back to Ranger because I didn’t think you were interested in me. I’ve seen the women vying for your attention. They were all that gorgeous model type. I couldn’t begin to compete with them.”

“Baby, I was already in love with you then. None of those women could ever hold my attention like you can. You are very beautiful and sexy,” I said as blush coloured her cheeks. I picked out an engagement ring the day after that incident. It was a bit premature on my part, but I stumbled across the perfect ring and I had to buy it. We drove in silence to her apartment. “I’ll be back at 5:30 to pick you up for dinner,” I said as I parked the car.

“Okay. Dress nice Darling. We want to make a good impression. Enough time was wasted, don’t you think?” She kissed me before hopping out of my car. I couldn’t prevent the huge grin from appearing on my face. Yes, we did waste a lot of time. If only I had known she loved me the past two years.

It was time to pick up Beautiful. I was nervous as I parked my car. When I noticed Ranger’s 911 near the door, anger soared through my body. How dare he show up at my Beautiful’s apartment? Now he shows interest? When another man becomes involved? I ran up the stairs two at a time and arrived at her apartment as Ranger picked his way through the locks. “What are you doing here Carlos?” I angrily spat out.

“It’s none of your business Santos,” he snapped back. I could hear Stephanie on the other side of the door. Ranger opened the door and walked into her apartment.

“Are you kidding me? I asked you to leave me alone Ranger. What? You think you can pick your way into my apartment? Why can’t you just let me live my life? You said you didn’t want me, couldn’t give me what I need. Now that someone else wants me, you think you can waltz back into my life? That’s not going to happen. We agreed to be friends. If you continue to break into my apartment, we’ll be nothing to each other,” she said as she poked her finger into his chest. Looking at me she sweetly said, “Darling, let’s go. My parents are waiting for us to arrive.”

We stepped out of her apartment, Ranger following closely behind. After locking the door, she grabbed my hand as we exited the building. Ranger raced off in his car. “Stupid Batman thinks he can just swoop in to take me away,” she mumbled.

“Beautiful, are you sure you want to do this?”

“Yes Darling, I really do.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stephanie gets engaged, officially and decides to move.

Chapter 3

Grandma Mazur and Helen Plum were waiting for us at the front door, watching as I parked the car. I saw Frank Plum exit the garage and motion for me to follow him. After giving Stephanie a quick kiss on her soft lips, I followed Frank into the garage. He quickly stated, “I hear you and Pumpkin are engaged.”

“Not officially sir,” I replied. “I know this is out of proper order. We should have been dating for a few years before I approached you with my request. I wanted to formally ask you for Stephanie’s hand in marriage before I propose.”

He nodded. “Can you take care of my baby girl?”

“Yes sir. I built a house outside Trenton for us. You daughter is the most amazing, kind, loving, generous woman I know. I have been in love with her for the last four years. She’s my sunshine, my light, my life, my other half and my best friend. Do I have your permission to marry your daughter?”

“Will you help her fly?” he asked.

“Sir, it will be my honour to fly with her.”

I could see Frank rolling the idea through his head before answering with a smile, “Son, it’s about time you asked. Every time I saw you two together, I could see how much you love her. You may not have been officially dating for the last few years, but I could see you two are deeply in love. Her face lights up whenever she talks about you. Come on son, let’s go inside for dinner.”

My phone buzzed as we entered the house. I checked the message from Tank. ‘Ranger left for Miami at 1900.’ Shaking my head, I thought, ‘coward.’

We heard Helen Plum in the kitchen yelling at Stephanie. “If you’re engaged, you would have a ring. Where is it? Or are you telling more lies? You were always a little sneak and liar. Why me? Why does my daughter always blow up cars and not settle down like a good Burg woman?”

I slipped my arm around Steph, pulling her into the living room, away from her mom. Guiding her to sit on the couch, I kneeled in front of her and held her hands in mine. “Beautiful, Stephanie, I’ve loved you from the moment I first met you. You accepted me when others wouldn’t. You stayed with me in the hospital when I was shot. You cared for me when I was sick. Stephanie, you are my light, my love, my heart, my soul and my life. Baby, you know how much I love you. Will you please do me the honour of becoming my wife?”

I could see Joe Morelli enter the house as she answered, “Yes Lester, I would love to have you as my husband.”

“Cupcake! What is the meaning of this? You can’t be engaged to him when you’re already engaged to me!” he shouted.

Frank walked up to Joe and sternly said, “Joseph Morelli, you are no longer welcome in this house. Please leave.” He stepped between his wife and Joe. “Helen! Let him leave,” he added when he noticed her attempt to stop Joe from leaving. Joe glanced at Helen who nodded her head, silently asking him to leave. He stormed out of the house, slamming the door behind him.

Stephanie angrily asked, “Mom, why was Joe here?”

She snapped, “I invited your fiancé to dinner.”

“How many times have I told you Joe and I are not a couple? We were never engaged and I would never want to marry him. Lester and I are now engaged. If you can’t accept him as part of the family, then I’ll leave here and never return. The ball is in your court Mom. What are you going to decide?”

Helen looked at Frank’s harsh glare before reluctantly saying, “I’ll support your decision.” I could see she wasn’t sincere. You could see her plotting her next move as she looked at Stephanie.

Smiling sweetly Beautiful said, “Thank you Mom.” She helped her mom bring the food to the table. Surprisingly, it was an enjoyable meal. Topics involving Joe was quickly thwarted by Frank.

“Thank you for dinner Mrs Plum,” I politely said.

“You’re welcome dear. Take care of Steph,” she politely said through gritted teeth. Mrs Plum was definitely a woman to keep a close eye on.

“I will ma’am. Thank you Sir,” I said to Frank. He slapped my back before we left.

“Just take care of my Pumpkin... and call me Frank, son.”

I grabbed Stephanie’s left hand and kissed her ring. “Are you going to at least look at your ring Baby?” I noticed she never looked at the ring as I placed it on her finger. Her eyes were always on me. She gasped, “Oh Lester! It’s beautiful.”

I selected a blue heart shaped 5k diamond set in a platinum band. “You like it Baby?”

“I love it Lester. It’s perfect.” She gave me a quick kiss.

I wanted to take her to the house, but I wasn’t sure how she’d feel about it. She may enter rhino mode when she sees the wardrobe I purchased for her. “Baby, I would like you to see our home. Would you like to spend the night with me?”

Her bright smile warmed my heart. “I would love to see our house.” Stephanie’s legs bounced in excitement as I drove to our house on the opposite side of Trenton. I pulled up to the dark gate and entered my code. The gates swung inward, granting access to the long, winding drive. Mature trees lined both sides of the driveway. I pulled my car into the four car garage. “Les? Are all these cars yours?” I could see her eyeing the midnight blue Jeep. She’s unaware I purchased it for her. “What’s under the tarp?” she asked.

“My red convertible Mustang.” I watched as she snooped around the garage.

“OMG!” She screeched.

“You found the bikes?” She nodded. “The blue one is yours,” I said as I approached her.

“Really? You bought me a bike?”

“Yes Baby, I bought you a bike and the Jeep.” She leaped into my arms and kissed me passionately. With her legs wrapped around my waist and my hands on her ass, I carried her into the house, up to the master bedroom.

I gently removed her clothes before removing mine. Her hands rubbed down my chest before she grabbed my huge erection. I moaned, “If you keep touching me like that I won’t last. Baby, let me love you.”

She released me before mumbling, “If you don’t hurry up and get inside me, I’ll self combust.” I felt her move her hands to my ass as she wrapped her legs around me. Using her hands and legs, she pulled me into her. I pumped a few times into her before she screamed my name, her muscles clenching to draw out my release as I grunted her name.

“Baby, I love you.” I trailed kissed across her face and down her breasts. Her legs released me as I gently caressed and kissed her body. I felt her hands grab onto my hair and gently pull as she raised her hips to my face.

“Oh Lester. That feels amazing. More,” she cried as I pushed two fingers into her. I could taste both of us as I sucked on her clit. Her muscles clenched my fingers as I hit the G-spot, drawing out another orgasm.

“Baby, you feel amazing,” I said as I trailed kisses back up her body.

She cried, “Lester, I love you,” as I plunged into her. I took my time during this round. She feels so wet and tight.

“Baby, open your eyes,” I requested as I felt her nearing another orgasm. We both released quietly as we stared into each other’s eyes. She moaned as I pulled out of her. “Let’s get some sleep. Wake me anytime you need me. Okay?” She nodded as she settled her head on my shoulder. As she fell asleep I whispered, “Beautiful, thank you for loving me.” We woke up a few times in the night to love each other.

The next morning, I kissed her gorgeous face to wake her. Her curly hair was a mess across the pillows. When her beautiful blue eyes opened, I said, “Morning Beautiful. I made you breakfast.”

“You are the perfect man. Have I told you how much I love you Les?” 

“Yes Baby, and you showed me many times too.” I couldn’t stop the silly grin from appearing on my face. “There’s a robe on the back of the bathroom door. Put it on, come downstairs and join me for breakfast.” I returned to the kitchen to finish making her chocolate chip pancakes. She arrived as I was plating her food. I passed her the plate with a cup of coffee. “It’s Cuban coffee. I hope you like it.”

I watched as she sipped her perfectly doctored coffee. “This is the best cup of coffee I ever had. Thank you. You’re going to spoil me. I wish I could repay the favour, but I don’t know how to cook.”

“Baby, I enjoy spoiling you.” I shifted in my chair as she moaned her way through breakfast.

“Darling, those pancakes were amazing.”

“If you want, I can teach you how to cook. Or you can help me whenever I cook for you.”

“I would like to learn but you’ll need to be patient with me. Mom was never patient enough to teach me,” she sadly said.

“My Abuela Rosa taught me how to cook. She insisted it was important to be able to share the responsibility with my wife. I would love to teach you how to cook,” I promised as I kissed her neck.

The breakfast dishes were rinsed and loaded into the dishwasher. “Les honey, I don’t have any clothes here. Do you have something for me to wear?”

Slipping my arms around her waist, I said, “Baby, please don’t get mad at me. You have a full wardrobe in the bedroom closet. The dresser with the mirror is yours and so is the right side of the walk-in closet. Follow me, let me show you.” I grabbed her hand and led her to our bedroom. She opened the closet. I was expecting her to go into full rhino mode, but once again, she surprised me.

“Lester, you’re amazing. Thank you for not spending a fortune on clothes.”

“Baby, I knew you would be angry if I purchased designer clothing for you. I paid attention to your clothing size, brands and style. But, I did spend a lmoney on your shoes and lingerie. What’s mine is yours Beautiful.”

She wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled me into a kiss. “I’m going to take a shower now. Would you like to join me?” She had a mischievous look on her face. I quickly stripped and followed her into the shower. Her smile widened when she noticed her typical products in the bathroom.

As she was styling her hair, I asked, “Baby, will you move in with me? I don’t want to sleep another night without having you in my arms.”

I was tense, waiting for her to panic, but relaxed when she said, “Of course. I’ll move in tomorrow. We’ll pack up my clothes and donate everything else.” She laughed when I grabbed her and spun her around.

Packing up Beautiful’s apartment was uneventful. We managed to fit all her clothes and shoes into four suitcases. All her furniture was second hand, so she wasn’t attached to it. The bathroom items fit neatly into a box. I helped her clear out the fridge and clean the apartment. We talked about the good and bad memories she experienced in the apartment. When she mentioned Ranger being shot as a bad memory, I told her about his abrupt departure last night. “I received a text from Tank last night,” I started. “Ranger left for Miami at 1900.”

She threw a few items into the box. “Stupid Batman. He needs to take responsibility for his own actions, not run away to Miami to hide and lick his wounds. I may not want to be with him, but I also don’t want to lose my friend. He never gave me the chance to explain.”

I hugged her as she came to terms with Ranger leaving without an explanation or saying goodbye.

Bobby arrived with a truck for the furniture. He was taking it to a group home for single moms. As each item was removed from her apartment, I kept waiting for her to panic. “I’m not going to panic Darling. For the first time in my life, moving in with someone doesn’t scare me. Moving in with you feels right. I love you Les.”

“Baby, I love you too.” I pulled her into my arms. This woman makes me very happy. Even though we officially just started our relationship, I don’t feel as though we’re rushing. Like Beautiful said last night, ‘we wasted enough time.’ After loading my truck, we drove back to our home to unpack. “I’m almost disappointed the move went without a hitch,” I said.

“Of course, being me, I expected Joe or Ranger to show up and express their... displeasure,” she laughed.

“Imagine their surprise when they break into your apartment to find it empty,” I quipped.

She started laughing. “I would love to see the look on their faces. The rent’s paid for the next few months...” I could see the spark in her eyes. My Beautiful has a plan.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stephanie moves onto the next phase in her plan. After she confesses to him, Lester also makes his own confession.

Chapter 4

We left her apartment for the final time and drove home. After unpacking, Stephanie grabbed her cell phone to make a call on speaker phone. “Hola Angel,” said Hector.

“Hi Hector. Can you do me a favour?” she asked in English. I wasn’t sure he even understood English. He only spoke Spanish at the office.

“Si Angel. What can I do for you?” he asked cheerfully in perfect English. Ah... Beautiful still has secrets.

“I just moved out of my apartment and I would like a camera installed in the foyer, pointing at the door and another in the foyer pointing towards the back of the apartment,” she said as she winked at me.

He laughed, “To see Ranger and Joe’s expression when they realize you moved?” I raised my eyebrow, wondering how he knew.

“Exactly. Can you come to Lester’s house after? I would like you to set up a few things we discussed last week.”

“Si. Give me one hour. I will bring your laptops too.” He hung up the call.

I glanced at Stephanie and raised one eyebrow. “Last night, I sent Hector a text, telling him I was moving in with you. I’m having him set up a home office for me. I plan to give my notice at Rangeman and Vinnie’s. Now that we’re officially together, Hector’s helping me start my own business. Is it okay if I base it out of your home?”

She chewed on her bottom lip, obviously afraid I’d be upset with her. “Baby, it’s your house too. You don’t need to ask my permission. What type of business are you starting?”

“My own private investigation business. Mary Lou is going to be my partner and accountant. I’ll only be running the business out of the house until I can find a suitable office space for the company.” I was surprised. She never mentioned anything about starting her own business.

“Do you have a business plan?”

I watched her roll her eyes. “Lester, do you know I have a business degree?”

“Yes. But you said you barely graduated. In the bottom two percent, if I’m not mistaken.”

She wrapped her arms around me. “True. I barely graduated. But over the last few years, I completed my MBA online and graduated at the top of my class. I know all about business plans and starting my own business.”

“I assume you already have a business partner and investors?”

“Yes. Hector is my business partner and an investor. Mary Lou is also a partner, but not an investor. Would you be interested in investing in my company? Be a partner? Both?”

“Only if it’s alright with Mary Lou and Hector, Beautiful.”

Hector knocked on the door exactly one hour after their conversation. He had four laptops with him. “Les, can you grab the box from my truck?”

“Sure. Hector, when did you start speaking English?”

He laughed, “I always spoke English. It was more fun speaking only Spanish at work. People talk more freely around me if they think I can’t understand them. Don’t tell anyone my secret. Ranger doesn’t even know.”

I looked at Stephanie and asked, “How long have you known?”

She started laughing, “Since I had my training session in hacking.” I watched as she hugged Hector, stroking his teardrop tattoo before kissing his cheek. She began her training in hacking two years ago.

“Hector, your secret is safe with me. You two are very close.” I was trying to squash my jealousy.

“Honey, don’t be jealous,” she said, accurately reading my facial expression. “Hector’s my brother. He was there for me while you were on your last mission with Ranger and Bobby. Hector kept me safe and sane.”

I grabbed the box and helped Hector set up Steph’s home office. “Hector, Steph said you are her business partner and investor. Are you willing to share the title with me?”

“Si, we share title with Frank too, but Stephanie wishes to keep it secret. I want this business to be kept separate from Rangeman. Once our business is established, I will leave Rangeman and work solely for Angel. I have created programs proprietary to her business. My lawyer filed copyright protection on the programs I created outside of Rangeman.” I knew he was working on a side project for the last year, but I always assumed it was for Rangeman.

“Are you sure these programs don’t belong to Rangeman?” I asked. I wanted to ensure Stephanie and Hector were protected from Ranger’s lawyers.

“Positive. Before I wrote the programs, I had my lawyer review my Rangeman contract to ensure I could maintain proprietary ownership of my new programs. They are more sophisticated than the programs currently used by Rangeman. If Ranger wants to use these programs, he would be required to hire Angel’s company.” He opened his laptop bag to show me the legal documents. “I also have an agreement for you to sign as our business partner. We were already planning to have you sign on with our company, as a silent and invisible partner. I have another document if you wish to invest in the company. Both documents will protect her company from Rangeman. If you wish, my lawyer will file your signed documents under the same shell company as Frank’s to protect your identity. You will be updated with the company growth and profitability, but you have no say in how the company is run. If you agree to these terms, sign these documents.”

I could see Stephanie really wanted me to be a part of her business. She handed me the pen from her purse. After reading the business parter document, I asked, “Are you guys sure I should hold equal shares in the company?”

Both Hector and Steph nodded in approval. “Mary Lou suggested it would be fair since you would likely be an investor too. We wouldn’t have offered you equal shares if we weren’t in agreement.” I quickly signed the documents with Hector and Stephanie witnessing my signature. Mary Lou holds twelve percent, Stephanie, Hector, Frank and I each have twenty two percent shares in the company. I sent a text to my lawyer to discuss options for my involvement with Rangeman.

We discussed company names as Hector set up the laptops and programs in the main floor office. I readily gave her the largest office for her business. Mary Lou will be using the smaller office across the hall. If I need to complete Rangeman paperwork, I could always sit at the dining room table or convert a small bedroom for my home office. “What do you think of the name Bombshell Investigations?” she timidly asked. I could see Hector shake his head. He didn’t like that name and neither did I. The way she earned that nickname was less than flattering.

Hector said, “You don’t like being called Bomber or Bombshell. What about Sleuth Investigators?” Stephanie and I both agreed to the name. I contacted Sonny’s gun shop to acquire weapons for Stephanie, Hector, Mary Lou and myself.

We need to purchase weapons and have them registered through the new company. “I’ll call Uncle Joe to start the gun registration process and permit to carry concealed,” Steph offered.

“Uncle Joe?” I asked.

She smiled and said, “Yes. My Godfather Joe Juniak. He’ll help us with our applications and file the correct permits. Being the mayor has perks. However, he’ll want to witness our gun skills before he processes our application. I’ve been taking Mary Lou to the gun range to practice and she’s fairly accurate.” She left the room to place her call. I could hear parts of her conversation. “Hi Uncle Joe. Yes. It’s Steph. I’m starting my own private investigator business and need permits to carry concealed for my staff... Employees? Oh right. Mary Lou Stankovic, Lester Santos, Frank Plum, Hector Hernandez and me for now... That’s right... My company name? Sleuth Investigators... I agree, it is an appropriate name... When? Tomorrow at 11 am?” She glanced at us to see if that time works for us. Hector and I nodded our heads. “Yes, that time’s good for me, Hector and Les. I’ll need to call Mary Lou... The police station gun range? Are we allowed to use it?” She laughed, “Sorry Uncle Joe, for a minute, I forgot who I was talking to... Yes, Dad still has a valid permit. He’s excited to help... Lester and Hector already have permits to carry concealed through Rangeman, but they still need to have permits for my company... Yes Uncle Joe, I did my homework... Okay, we’ll see you tomorrow. Oh. I almost forgot to tell you, Lester and I are engaged... Thank you. I’ll tell him.” She walked further away from us to have a private conversation with him before ending the call.

The next call she made was to Mary Lou. “Hi Lou. Are you available tomorrow at 11 am? Uncle Joe asked us to meet him at the Police station gun range. It’s the only way he’ll endorse our permit application to carry concealed... Lou, you’ve been doing extremely well at the range... Lenny wants to come with us? I don’t think it would be a problem. He’s an excellent shot too... Okay. Can your mom babysit the boys? Great. See you guys tomorrow.” She quickly placed another call. “Uncle Joe. I have another person to add to the list. Lenny... Yes that’s right, Mary Lou’s husband. He expressed interest in joining my staff... Okay thank you.” She slipped her arms around my waist. “We’re all set for tomorrow.”

“Are you asking Lula to join your staff?”

Stephanie smirked, “No. I realized over the last few years that she was using me. She took advantage of my generosity and kindness. Lula would often get me to buy her breakfast or lunch when I barely had enough to feed myself. Whenever she helped me capture a skip, I gave her half the bounty. I stopped asking for her help when I overheard her bragging to one of her hooker friends Jackie. She said, ‘Ya know that skinny ass white chick that talked to us on Stark St? You know... when officer hottie was on the run? Ya, I get a free ride with her. Stupid skinny ass chick buys me whatever food I ask for. Ya, so stupid that she gives me half the dough too. Filing for that creep Vinnie pays $600 a week. I got lots of cash to spend.’ I have never felt so used. She told me Vinnie didn’t pay much for filing. So many times I had to rely on Ranger’s ‘pity jobs’ to pay my rent. Or he’d pay my rent when my need for food surpassed the need to pay rent. I had to eat lunch and dinner only three times a week when I had no skips to catch. If you didn’t bring me dinner those days, I wouldn’t have eaten.” Tears spilled from her eyes and streamed down her face.

“Baby, I paid your rent, not Ranger. Please don’t be mad at me,” I confessed.

“Les, thank you so much for helping me. You should have told me sooner,” she admonished.

“Do you still associate with Lula?” I was curious to know. To my knowledge, they haven’t been seen together outside the bonds office.

The tears were still running down her face. She forcibly wiped them away, taking a deep breath before saying, “I talk to Lula, but I never ask for her help anymore. We don’t go for lunch or shopping together either. I had you guys train me and assist whenever I needed extra help. When my skip Benji Anderson started punching me, she took off, leaving me to fight him alone. She never even called for backup. Relying on Lula stopped being an option that day, she let me down one time too many. I also heard her say she only hung around me to get closer to Ranger. Apparently that was also her motivation for dating Tank, being Ranger’s right hand man.” I remember Hal telling about the day she used the panic button I gave her. She managed to restrain Benji a few minutes before help arrived.

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Joe, Ranger and Lula all used my Beautiful for their own personal gain. Hector grabbed my attention as I pulled Beautiful into my arms. He said, “Les, let it go. She handled this by herself. Angel is a strong woman. She has the two of us now. We are her true friends.”

“Baby, why didn’t you say anything to me?”

“You were away on your last mission. Hector helped me get through it. I was taking online courses and running searches for Rangeman. All the guys were very sweet and helped me whenever they could spare time. Lula was angry whenever Tank spent time with me. In a rage, Lula told Tank exactly why she was dating him. They broke up immediately. Tank was furious. He had no idea she was only after his money and Ranger.” She straightened her shoulders, took a deep cleansing breath and said, “That is all in the past and needs to stay there. I want to concentrate on our future together.”

I leaned down to kiss her. Hector interrupted us. “Angel, your computers are ready.” He showed us the programs. I gave Hector permission to set up security measures for the house, which he will personally manage. No need to tip off anyone regarding our plans. Rangeman was monitoring the exterior of the house while Hector was managing the interior. Once everything was set up, Hector left. We formally scheduled a meeting for the following Wednesday to discuss business operations.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stephanie implements the next stage in her plan. Many things change as she embarks on a new relationship with the love of her life. Her business plan will soon take off.

Chapter 5

Beautiful lightly kissed my lips. “Thank you for your support Lester. It means a lot to me.”

“Your skills are unmatched by anyone at Rangeman, including Ranger. Your instincts are very accurate. I’m so proud of you my love.” I looked in Stephanie’s eyes. “What’s on your mind Baby?”

“I was just thinking I want to be married to you now. A huge wedding ceremony doesn’t interest me. Been there, done that, wrote the book. Can we get married tomorrow afternoon? I asked Uncle Joe to expedite a marriage license. His friend is a justice of the peace and agreed to perform the ceremony.” She saw a huge smile appear on my face. I caught her as she jumped into my arms, wrapping her legs around my waist. “Call your parents Les. You’ve never been married before. They can be our witnesses.”

With my fiancée stilled wrapped around me, I called my mom. “Hi Mama. Can you come to Trenton tomorrow afternoon? I’m marrying Stephanie. We want you and Papa to be our witnesses... Yes... that Stephanie... Thank you Mama... I’ll tell her. Te amo.” I ended the call. “Mama and Papa will be our witnesses. They are excited to meet you. Mama said she’s happy you agreed to be my wife.”

“Uncle Joe will have Dad and Grandma Mazur meet us for the ceremony. He said my Mom is still hoping I’d marry Morelli and refuses to attend. It’s her loss. If she can’t be supportive of us then she can’t be a part of our lives. I love you so much Les.” I secretly hoped, for Stephanie’s sake, that Helen would accept her decision to marry me.

“I love you too Baby. Let me show you how much I love you.” I carried her to our bedroom where I spent the last hour showing her just how much I love her.

We were interrupted when the Batman theme rang on her cell phone. Sighing, she answered her phone as she lay naked in my arms. “Yo... Sorry Ranger, I have dinner plans every night for the rest of my life. Stay in Miami until you extract your head from your ass.” She hung up the phone then turned it off. “Les, I need another phone with a new number. Do you mind if I ask Hector for help?”

“Not at all. Give him a call now.” She clicked speed dial 2 on her phone.

“Hola Hector. I need a new cell phone and number. One that Ranger can’t find. Yes. I need one number for the business and another for personal use. You can program yours and Lester’s numbers on my phone. That’s correct, it’s the same as my current phone. Lester 1, you 2, Dad 3 and Mary Lou 4. Thank you Hector.”

“I thought Ranger was speed dial 1 on your phone.”

She laughed, “No. He lost that honour the day he sent me back to Morelli. You have been number 1 on my speed dial since. If I had known you were interested in me, you would have been my only man from the day I first met you.”

I had to ask, “Did you feel it too? That spark when our hands first touched?” She nodded.

“When I asked Ranger about you, he told me you were his cousin and a player. He said you would only be interested in me for one night,” she admitted.

“Baby, I stopped being a player the day we met. I haven’t been interested in any other woman since. You were the only one for me. If I couldn’t have you, then I was resigned to being your best friend. I couldn’t live without having you in my life in some way.”

Tears ran down her face. “You have always been there for me. Whenever I questioned Ranger, he insisted you were a player and not to give you another thought. I think he knew we were attracted to each other, but did everything possible to keep us apart.” She snuffled and blew her nose in the Kleenex I handed to her. “I wish I knew,” she whispered.

I lifted her chin. “Baby, we can’t worry about what happened in the past. We’re together now and we’ll be husband and wife tomorrow. You are the single most important person in my life. I love you.”

She kissed me tenderly, “I love you too.” We spent the rest of the night expressing our love for each other.

We arrived at the TPD parking lot at 10:55 am. Mary Lou, Lenny, Frank and Hector were waiting for us to arrive. Juniak parked his car and led us to the gun range side entrance. He handed each of us a weapon with ammunition. After watching us disassemble, reassemble, load our weapons and place them on the ledge, he said, “I have four sets of targets for each of you. The first target only shows the head and shoulders. The second target only shows the torso. The third has the head and torso. Finally ending with the full body target. For each set, you will require to use a new weapon.”

I could see Mary Lou blanch. “Mary Lou, this is standard requirement. If you’re as good of a shot as Steph says you are, you should have no problems. Breathe deeply and try to relax,” I offered. Hector and Ram worked many hours with Beautiful until she was finally comfortable with her weapon. I was anxious to see the results of their lessons.

Juniak continued as he loaded the first target sheet, “I want clean, in between the eyes shots. One shot at first, wait until I can verify your accuracy. I’ll tap you on the shoulder when you can proceed. Empty your clip into the target then disassemble your weapon before placing it on the ledge.” He watched as each of us took a shot. I was quite pleased when both Stephanie and Mary Lou nailed their targets. Once Joe approved, they emptied their clips, each shot enlarging the target hole. “Well done girls,” Juniak praised. He watched as we cleaned the weapons. The second target produced the same results as the first. Both women had no problem hitting their target in the heart.

Joe decided to give more instructions for the third target. “As you can see, this target has the head and torso. I would like to see one clear shot to the head, one to the heart and one to the stomach. Once I’ve cleared the shots, I want you to empty the clip in the area of your choosing.” He knew Frank, Hector, Lenny and I could handle the targets easily. Lenny already has a permit to carry concealed. It was given to him when he required protection while servicing the plumbing in mobster homes. He was here to offer his wife support. I suspect he would eventually join Mary Lou and work for Beautiful. Even though the girls’ arms must be tiring, they continued to accurately hit their targets. The final target had more instructions, one shot between the eyes, one to the heart, one to the stomach, one in each upper arm, one in the genitalia and one in each leg. Both girls exceeded my expectations. Juniak and Frank didn’t seem too surprised. Stephanie and Mary Lou selected their choice of weapon from Frank and Joe Juniak. Both weapons were promptly registered to the girls and their permit to carry concealed filed. “You should receive your permit to carry concealed once the background checks are complete.”

“How long will that take Uncle Joe?” Stephanie asked.

“No more than one week. We already received the background checks provided by Rangeman, but the State needs to run their own to ensure nothing was overlooked. I’ve pulled some favours to rush the paperwork.”

Stephanie wrapped her arms around Juniak. “Thank you Uncle Joe.”

I embraced Stephanie to whisper, “You were amazing. I need to thank Hector and Ram for training you. I’m so proud of you Baby. You did an excellent job training Mary Lou.” She smiled brightly before placing a kiss on my lips.

Susan Juniak, Joe’s wife, and Steph’s Grandma Mazur arrived carrying several garment bags. “Follow us to the courthouse.” This was part two of our plans for today. We entered separate bathrooms to clean up and change. Stephanie was the first to exit the women’s washroom. She was wearing a fitted cream colour dress that hugged her amazing curves. Mary Lou was wearing a pale blue dress that accentuated her voluptuous figure. I could see Lenny fixing himself once he saw his wife. She blushed and giggled. Our entourage followed Joe and Susan to the small courtroom.

Joe said, “I assumed you two would be more comfortable here than the chapel.” He was right. Stephanie had no interest in getting married in the small chapel. Hector and my parents arrived as we were preparing for the ceremony. Hector recorded our ceremony in case we wished to show our friends. At 2 pm on Sunday May 20, 2018, Stephanie Plum became my wife. “Mrs Santos, Beautiful, my wife, I love you.”

She smiled at me, “I love you too my darling husband.” My parents loved her instantly. We celebrated at Rosini’s in a small private room. Now comes the fun part... introducing my wife to Rangeman staff. We discussed our options on the way home.

Later that night, Helen called Stephanie to ask for her forgiveness. She was really upset to miss her daughter’s wedding. Frank recorded the ceremony on his phone to show her exactly what she missed. All she wanted for Stephanie was to find a husband. My Beautiful freely forgave her mom and proceeded to discuss her new business venture.

The next day, Beautiful received an email with a video attachment. We watched as Joe entered her empty apartment. You could hear him calling out, “Cupcake, are you here? Where are you?” His face was nearly purple from anger after searching her nearly empty apartment. He found a box near the door, containing the meagre belongings he left behind several months earlier. We watched as he lifted the box and threw it across the room. He slammed the door as he left. Beautiful could barely contain her laughter.

We decided to spend time together before announcing our marriage to Rangeman. A few weeks later, Ranger was seen entering her old apartment. We heard as he called, “Babe?” After searching the empty apartment, he too left. His jaw was twitching.

On Friday, we were heading towards Rangeman to finally announce our marriage. We wanted to tell everyone before our marriage was registered. It would be flagged on Rangeman computers once Beautiful’s marital status changes. “Are you sure you want to do this Baby?” I asked for the hundredth time.

“Yes Darling. We can’t hide from them forever. You told me Bobby, Ranger and Tank noticed your wedding band and asked who you married. It’s time to rip off the bandaid. Also, I have my letter of resignation to submit.” She used the final two weeks of her vacation from Rangeman to set up our home and her business. Resigning from Rangeman and advertising her new business was the last two items on her ‘to do’ list.

“You could have emailed it to Tank. There was no need to print, sign and deliver it into his hands,” I reminded her.

“As I said before, we are killing two birds with one stone. If all goes well, I can leave once I hand Tank my letter. As much as I love the Merry Men, I don’t want to work another shift once they learn I resigned.” Beautiful was scheduled to work this afternoon. We met for lunch before finalizing our plan. I parked in my spot and helped my wife exit the car. Holding her hand, we entered the elevator and pressed the button for the fifth floor. I knew the men watching the monitors could see us. When we exited the elevator, they raised an eyebrow. Steph unwound her hand from mine and headed towards Tank’s office. “Les, will you please come with me for support?”

“Anything for you Baby.” I heard several guys gasp at my term of endearment.

They whispered, “Did he just call her Baby? The Bossman is not going to like this one bit.”

We entered Tank’s office. “Little girl, what are you doing here so early? Your shift doesn’t start for another hour.”

“That’s why I’m early Tank. This is for you...” She passed him the letter.

He unfolded it to read. “Are you sure this is what you want to do?”

“Yes Tank. I would like to terminate my employment here, effective immediately, if possible.”

“Are you in trouble? Do you need help?” he asked.

I almost laughed when he asked her those questions. “I’m starting my own business and need the time to launch it.” She smiled at me, grabbed my hand and said, “I also wanted to inform you Lester and I are married.” I watched as Tank’s jaw dropped.

“You married playboy Lester?” His face displayed shock.

She squared her shoulders and sternly said, “He hasn’t been a playboy in four years. I should know since we’ve spent all our spare time together. If you can’t be happy for us, then you can’t be my friend.” I rubbed her back, attempting to prevent her from entering rhino mode.

His face showed the hurt from her statement. I love it when Beautiful hands these guys their ass. “Little girl, I was surprised. I value our friendship. Your request for immediate termination is granted.” Tank ran the Human Resources department and had the authority to grant her wish.

Smiling, she said, “Thank you Tank.” She moved around the desk, sat in his lap and hugged him. Sweetly she asked, “Can you round up the troops and have them meet us in conference room three? I should be the one to inform them.” I was amazed how quickly she forgave him.

“Yes.” He connected to the intercom system to order all available men to the conference room. She kissed his bald head before jumping off his lap.

The men assembled within five minutes. Ranger was noticeably missing. I looked into Beautiful’s face and raised an eyebrow. She grimaced and said, “Let me tell them.”

“I’ll help,” I offered.

“Hello men. As of fifteen minutes ago, I am no longer employed by Rangeman.” The men started interrupting before she could finish her announcement. Suddenly, the room grew quiet. I saw Beautiful bristle as Ranger entered the room.

He angrily said, “What did you just say Babe?”

She straightened her back and jutted out her chin. “I said I am no longer employed by Rangeman effective immediately.”

“Your contract indicates you must provide at least two weeks notice,” he ground out. Ranger was going to be surprised when Hector tenders his resignation at the end of his shift today. I was still on the fence regarding my employment with Rangeman. It was pivotal on the advice from my lawyer.

I could sense her entering rhino mode before she took a deep breath. She quickly calmed herself. In a sickly sweet voice she asked, “Tank, Bobby, Les, do any of you object to my request for immediate termination?” She already had Tank’s and my approval, but she needed Bobby’s to overturn Ranger’s request of waiting the two weeks. I also knew she wanted Ranger to hear Tank’s and my answer.

Tank and I both answered, “Yes.” She looked at Bobby, silently pleading with him.

He looked to me and Tank before answering, “Yes, but I would like you to explain the sudden need to end your employment here.”

“I’m starting my own company. I need the next few weeks to set everything in place before officially opening for business. Once I get my first company running, Lou and I are opening a lingerie store. We have designs ready for production and a store front secured. My cousin Shirley, Valerie and my mom will be operating the store. We are currently looking for private investors for that venture. I hope to use Rangeman for the lingerie store security.” She saw the surprise on my face. Leaning over she whispered, “Lou and I came up with the idea last week. We’ll discuss the details more at home.”

I kissed her lips quickly. She stiffened when she heard the men’s chatter. “Quiet!” I shouted. “We have another announcement. Stephanie and I are married.” Ella chose that time to bring in a cake as Hector played the ceremony video on the screen.

She watched the video before saying, “Congratulations Les and Steph. You two make an adorable couple. Steph, since I’m Lester’s aunt, you can call me Tia.”

Tears streamed down Steph’s face as she hugged Ella. “Thank you Tia.” I looked around the room as the men congratulated us. Ranger disappeared.


End file.
